GEO250 Soil and Geology in the Landscape

The landscape around us has a great intrinsic value, at the same time knowledge and interpretation of the landscape plays an important role in the development and prediction of sustainable ecosystem services. In this course, you will learn to see the connection between bedrock, loose deposits and soil so that you will be better able to make the right choices with regard to land use planning, land use, identification of geo-hazards and utilization of natural resources.

You learn to use different types of maps and other information to help with the mapping of landforms, loose deposits and soil. In the field, you will learn to identify and map different types of deposits (till, glaciofluvial deposits, etc.), including with the help of georadar, and to describe and interpret sediment sections. You will learn to describe and sample soil and identify soil types by performing some simple analyses in the field. You will be introduced to international terminology and soil classification systems. You will also learn to interpret the connection between bedrock, mineralogy, soil and important soil properties, and how external influences such as climate, topography, living organisms and time regulate these.

The course begins with academic preparation at NMBU, and then you will conduct field investigations groups in various landscape types, including lowland areas, plateau areas and glacier foreland in mountain areas. Mapping of soil, loose deposits and landforms is combined with descriptions and sampling, and the connection with the underlying bedrock is investigated.

The results are compiled and presented in groups as a poster, in addition to individual field reports. These should include description of the areas and interpretation of the Quaternary and soil-forming processes that have shaped the landscape we have today.

Knowledge: After completing the course, you should be able to recognize some of the most important types of loose deposits and soils in the field. You should be able to describe the processes that have formed common soils, loose materials and landforms in Norway, and the significance of the bedrock and mineralogy in these processes.

Skills: After completing the course, you should be able to map soils, loose deposits and landforms, assess their distribution and characterize the properties using different field techniques. You must be able to perform a complete soil profile description and sample soil for chemical and physical analyzes necessary to be able to classify these according to an international soil classification system. You should be able to combine maps with other collected field data and give an interpretation of the processes that formed these soils, the loose deposits and the landscape in which they occur, as well as their significance in different land uses and for geo-hazards. You should also be able to reconstruct changes in the depositional environment.

General competence: After completing the course, you should be able to plan and perform a project with practical fieldwork where Quaternary geology and soil are central. You should also have gained experience and skills in collaboration in a small group with everything from the distribution of work tasks in the field to discussion and presentation of results, orally and in writing (lectures, poster and report).